Hydraulic flywheel



July 2,3, 1946. |=1 W MEYER 2,404,515

' HYDRAULIC FLY' WHEEL Filed June 16, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet -1 /A//E/vro:

FRANK w. Mere/z,

F. w. .MEYERv HYDRAULIC FLY WHEEL,

Filed June 1e, 1944` Y.my 23, 1946.

2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented July 23, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE2,404,515 l. y HYDRAULIC FLYWHEEL Frank W. Meyer, East St. Louis,lll.

Application June 1.6, 1944, Serial No. 540,719

. 2 Claims.

This invention relates to hydraulic fly wheels.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved hydraulic fly wheelhaving relatively thin walls forming an annular chamber in the body andaround the hub of the wheel and arranged to be lled completely withliquid, and a hub attached to and supporting said thin walls of saidbody and formed with an annular compartment therein provided with a portcommunicating with said chamber through which liquid may pass, incombination with a valve device controlling an eluent passage from saidcompartment which will open to permit escape or discharge of liquidwhenV more liquid is delivered into the fly Wheel under pressure than isrequired to lil1A the same, and to provide an expansion device incommunication with said chamber which' will move under pressure of saidliquid to ,permit an additional amount of liquid to be placed in saidcompartment and said chamber before said valve will open to'permit anydischarge thereof.

Another object of the invention is tov provide an improved hydraulic ilywheel embodying the structure mentioned and having a series of arcuate'vanes pivotally supported within the annular chamber for movement topositions extending across said chamber and thereby prevent orretard themovement or flow of liquid, particularly when the speed of rotation ofthe fly Wheel becomes suddenly reduced below the speed of movement ofsaid liquid in said chamber.

Another object of the invention is to provide an expanding device forincreasing the aggregate cubical area within said chamber and saidcornpartment and thereby increasing the cubical content of liquid thatmay be retained therein before any discharge of liquid is eifectedthrough a valve device provided for that purpose..

Other objects will appear from the following description, referencebeing made to the annexed drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is across-sectional view transversely of the axis of my improved ily wheelon the line I-I ofA Fig. 2, showing a modification in which the vanesare pivotally supported near the hub.

Fig. v2 is a longitudinal sectional view through and parallel with theaxis of my improved fly wheel on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing a preferred construction of the hubof my improved hydraulic ily Wheel in the modication of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig.4 is a eros-sectional view transversely of the axisfshowing amodification of my improved llywheelvin which the vvanes are pivotallysup- 2 ported near the periphery instead of near the hub of the flywheel as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the relief valve and anexpanding device for `increasing the aggregate cubical area of theinterior of the fly Wheel, and thereby increasing the cubical content ofliquid that may be retained therein.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No.447,173, filed June 15, 1942. f

In each modification shown, the hubv of my improved hydraulic fly Wheelcomprises a body I attached to a `driven rotary shaft 2 by a spline 3.The hub ends 4 are attached to the body I by welding when said parts arecomposed of metal and forming hermetic or leakproof joints.- The body Iis hollow, having therein an annular compartment 5, and a number ofpassages 6 from said compartment Ato the periphery of the hub..

Two relatively thin metallic radial Walls 1 and 8 are rigidly attachedto the ends of the hub I by bolts 9. Said Walls 1 and 8 may also bewelded or otherwise attached to the ends of said hub in order to formhermetic joints and prevent leakage of liquid from Within the fly wheel.The walls 1 and 8 are of annular form, so that the hub ends 4 mayproject through and beyond said walls, as shown (Fig. 2). The Wall 1 isformed with anV integral annular flange I0 abutting against the edge ofa complementary annular flange II which is integral with the wall 8. The

flanges I0 and II extend toward and into abutting contact with eachother. One of said anges is formed with an integral annular bead I2overlappingand attached to the inner margin ofthe other flange bywelding or otherwise to form a leakproof and hermetic joint. The directintegral attachment of the lianges I0 and I I to each other by weldingor the like positively prevents the walls 1 and 8 from spreading apartat their periphery and thus prevents leakage of any of the liquidcontent of the ily Wheel between the anges I0 and II. The hub'l, the,walls 'I and 8, and

'the flanges I0 and I I cooperate to form an annular chamber I3 in thefly wheel. The chamber I3 has direct communication with the compartment5 through ports -6 through which liquid may pass freely from the chamberI3 into the compartment 5, and -vice versa.

In the-modification shown in Fig. 1, a vane I4 is pivoted on each bolt 9for inward and outward swinging movements. These vanes preferably have acurvature nearly concentric with'the` periphery of the hub `I and withthe axis Vof the shaft-2'; Said vanes'mayswing from `positions adjacentto the periphery of the hub I, as shown by solid lines at the top and atthe left of Fig. 1, to outwardly extended positions in'which the freeends of said vanes engage or are close to the inner periphery of theflanges I-I I or the ribfIZ, as shown by solid lines at the bottom ofFig. 1 and bysolid lines at the top. When the ily wheel is stationary,these vanes may move freely to the position to which they are impelledby gravity, as shown by solid llines in: Fig, l. Thus, the varies whichare impelled by gravity to positions in which they extend across thechamber I3 will remain or will move Ydownwardly to the positions' withthe vfly wheel. In order to permit passage of liquid under the vanes lI4 and prevent adhesion of said varies totheperiphery of the hubjwhileleaving said varies freely movablea number of grooves I5 are formed inthe periphery of the hub I'.

As vshown in Fig. 5, a. device is provided'to permitpdischarge of liquidfromthe fly wheel when the pressure of the liquidV contained therein.approximates, but is less than thepressure required to distort orburstthe fly, wheel. Said device comprises a valve cage I6 detachably securedin the Vcompartment 5 and having a valve seat I'I mounted' in'` itsinnerend and formed with a port I8 in communication with thelcompartment 5, and alsofhaving'a port`V lggformedin its outer end.Said* device also comprisesV aY valve 20 mountedy in. the/cage* I6 formovement to and from the valve seat I'I,-and1yieldingly held: againstsaid valve'seat by a spring 1ZI mounted inthe valve cage betwreenthevvalveZ and anrannular flange 22 in theouter'endv of said cage. Thespri-ngZI will yield Vunder predetermined pressure less than thatrequired to distort or :burst the walls 'I and ofthe fly wheel.When-*the pressure of the liquid inthe ily wheellbecomes'excessive orincreases beyond the desired maxi-mum less thanrthe pressuretthat willdistort orburst the walls 1 and 8, such pressureacting-againstthe innersidev of vice (not shown) may be provided on said piston.

The inner end of the cylinder 23 supports an abutment 2'I for limitinginward movement of the piston 26 and leaving said piston free foroutward movement. A spring 28 is mounted within the cylinder 23 betweenthe end wall 25 and the piston 26,1and yieldinglyholds said piston`Yagainst the abutment `2`I.` The spring 2I is much stronger than thespring 28 and will only yield under predetermined pressure largely inexcess of that required to operate the spring 28 but less than thatrequired to damage, distort or burst the walls 'IY and 8 of-v theVflywheel. When the pressure in the fly wheel increases by increase inthe volume of thefvalve 20 will move said valve to open position jawaydrom the valve seat IIV inopposition to the spring* 2I, therebyopening the port I8 and permating outflow of a part of the liquid fromwithinl the iiygwheel. When the volumeand pressurevofv Vtheliquid in theily wheel becomes reduced in this manner belowthe predetermined,maximum; the springfll will automatically move'theV valve 2a against theseat I'I, thereby closing. saidvalve and preventing outflow of anyfurther amount of liquid from the y wheel.'VV y Y A deviceY forY varyingthe .aggregatel cubical area of the compartment 5 and chamber I3.; in-

clu'ding the ports iiyforms apart of either modifi-f cation of myinvention Said device operates'to increase saidag'gregate cubical area.As shown in Fig..5, a cylinder 23 is detachably mountedin one end of;the hub I andopens into thefcompartment 5.y Preferably, `for balancing.purposes the Y T V*cylinder 23 is in the oppositel end Vofthe hub4 Ifrom thevalve devicefthat permits discharge-of liquid from the iiyVwheelunder conditions of exsliding movements' withinV Ythey cylinder 23andY Vforms aleakproofjoint with theV inner peripheryl the cubicalcontent of the liquid therein from any cause, the piston 26will be movedoutwardly in the cylinder 23 to increase the aggregate cubical contentwithin the flyfrwheel and compensate for` increase in the volumeofwthecubical contentA Vof the liquid therein. Continued increase' ofnthepressure in the fly wheel beyond a predetermined maximum, that is, whenthe-pressure in thejiiy wheel becomes excessive, the valve 28vwillbeopened by suchpressure and permit outiiowrof a part of the liquidfrom the iiy wheel; This oc.` curs before the pressure causes damageto,or bursting or distortion of the wheel, Thepiston 26 impelled by thespringV 28 functionsV to eject or cause outflow of a part of the liquidwhen the valve 20 is opened as described. That Yis,- the Aspring 28moves the pistonl towardthe'abut-y ment 2 1 as the amount Vof liquid inthe y wheel diminishes. Y

therefor. The saidvanes 28 are Vmounted on 'pive ots 3B supported by thewallsm'lv andg parallel with the axis of the shaft 2 and adjacent'toztheflanges.- IQ and Il. The freeends iofthevanes 294may` move Vinto contactwith the periphery ofithehub l whenr the fly wheel' is rotating in thedirection of the arrow 3i, asshown; in Figui: Whenithefy. wheel is atrest, the varies ZSvmay.` move freely on their pivotsi justas=the vanesI4^move freely ouV their pivots 9; In this: modificationI oftheinvention, the grooves .I5"are'omit'ted.` Otherwise;VV the y wheel ofFig. .4 'embodies all. of! the par-ts before described,'and vlikereference numerj-ls'r'are applied tofsaid'parts, as in theYfirst'modification. After the fly wheel" of eitherinodificationfhas'been assembled, the chamber I3,- p'orts B2i andV compartment 5 arecompletely'lledfwith'liquid throught an inlet lport provi'ded'vfo'rthatY purpose; Two such; ports are shown in: Fig.f2,`- and' each`r isprovided vwitha removable andreplaceableplug 32 which may be screwedvintoits portlandfthem may be welded or otherwise-'sealed when: securedin position to provide leakproofi -and hermetic joints. VWhenthe'ywhe'el is-to bel intiallyfiill'ed with liquid, at least one, and;preferably both, of the plugs 32 are removed to admit liquidint-o saidchamber and permit air 4to pass therefrom;` After Vthe iiy wheel iscompletelylledwith liquidthat is, after the chamber I3, compartment 5,and

ports' are completelylled with-said'liqudafthe Y Y hermetic joints.Completefflll-ing of the ily. wheel withliquid in the manner described,includinggthe chamber I 3, compartment -fand-portswill not move thepiston- -1 26, vbut will leave salda piston against the abutment 21 foroperation as above described.

It should now be apparent that this invention attains all of itsintended ob-jects and purposes in a desirable manner. It saves aconsiderable amount of metal and provides a. y wheel that canpracticably be dismantled or separated for purposes of repair orreplacement of parts, or for other needed purposes. The construction ofthe device may be varied otherwise than in the particulars specicallymentioned and shown without departure from the nature and principle ofthe invention.

I claim: ,f

1. In a fly wheel having a hub attached toa driven rotary shaft forrotation thereby and walls attached to the ends of said hub forming anannular chamber about the hub adapted to receive a quantity of liquid,the improvement comprising an annular compartment in the hub, portsopening from said compartment to the periphery of the hub, an expandingdevice for increasing the aggregate cubical area within said compartmentoperating under pressure of liquid therein, and al valve deviceoperating under pressure of liquid in said compartment for dischargingliquid therefrom under pressure greater than the pressure that operatessaid expanding device.

2. In a fly Wheel having a hub attached to a driven rotary shaft forrotation thereby and Walls attached to the ends of said hub forming anannular chamber about the hub adapted to receive a quantity of liquid,the improvement comprising a compartment Within the hub, ports from saidcompartment tothe chamber, a valve regulating discharge of liquid fromsaid compartment, a spring for holding said valve closed and yielding bypressure of liquid against said valve to discharge liquid from saidcompartment under pressure less than the pressure required .to distortsaid walls, an expanding device for increasing the aggregate cubicalarea within said compartment operating under pressure of liquidVtherein, and a spring yieldingly kholding said device in position foroperation by pressure of said liquid and arranged to yield under lessipressure of said liquid than the pressure required to operate said rstspringand open said valve.

FRANK W. MEYER.

